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OIL RICHES OR ENVIRONMENTAL RUIN? THE FUTURE OF THE DRC AT A CROSSROAD

By  Mostafa Sleem updated on May 29, 2024

 

The use of oil dates back to ancient times, with the earliest known utilization of bitumen, a naturally occurring form of petroleum, in Mesopotamia around 6000 BC for waterproofing boats and construction. Egyptians harnessed oil-based substances for mummification, and by 347 AD, records show that the Chinese were using bamboo pipelines to transport oil.

The modern oil industry began in the mid-19th century with Edwin Drake’s drilling of the first commercial oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859. This milestone marked the dawn of the petroleum era, leading to the development of oil extraction and refining processes that we recognize today. By the early 20th century, the oil industry had achieved global expansion, with significant discoveries in the Middle East, such as the Ghawar Field in Saudi Arabia, and rapid advancements in drilling and refining technologies.

The discovery of oil, coupled with the development of internal combustion engines during the Industrial Revolution, exponentially increased the demand for oil. This period witnessed rapid industrial growth and the expansion of transportation networks fueled by oil. Today, oil is deeply integrated into our daily lives, powering industrial energy, transportation, and even agriculture, earning it the moniker “black gold.”

For many countries, oil reserves provide a strategic advantage, ensuring energy security and economic stability by reducing dependence on foreign energy sources. However, the focus of this discussion is not on global oil dynamics but rather on whether oil can drive development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or become a curse that negatively impacts its population.

In 2024, the world faces an increasingly dire environmental crisis. Climate change has wreaked havoc, with floods and natural disasters becoming more frequent. As the global community prioritizes environmental sustainability, the green transition has emerged as a pivotal concept in the energy landscape. This transition is essential to combat climate change and ensure long-term energy security.

The DRC presents a unique case. With vast potential in renewable energy sources, the DRC could become a pivotal player in the world’s quest for a clean energy transition.

 

 

The Double-Edged Sword of Oil Wealth

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the emergence of major oil companies, such as John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, which played pivotal roles in shaping the global oil market and marking the beginning of a transformative era. Al Jazeera’s compelling docuseries, “The Secret of the Seven Sisters,” explores oil discoveries across continents and their profound ripple effects on governments and populations.

Nigeria stands as a stark example of the oil paradox in Africa. Oil was discovered in Nigeria’s Niger Delta in 1956, and commercial production quickly positioned Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading oil producers. Despite this vast oil wealth, Nigeria has been plagued by economic mismanagement and corruption. Oil revenue has often been misappropriated, resulting in significant wealth disparity and limited economic development outside the oil sector.

The Niger Delta has suffered severe environmental damage from oil spills, gas flaring, and other forms of pollution, devastating local communities and their livelihoods, particularly those dependent on fishing and agriculture. Oil has also been at the center of numerous conflicts in Nigeria, with the struggle for control of oil resources leading to violence, kidnappings, and insurgencies, especially in the Niger Delta region.

Nigeria has experienced the economic phenomenon known as “Dutch Disease,” where an overemphasis on the oil sector has led to the neglect of other economic areas. This over-reliance on oil has made the country vulnerable to fluctuations in oil prices. Despite its oil wealth, Nigeria faces significant challenges in human development. High levels of poverty, unemployment, and inadequate public services are prevalent, highlighting that oil wealth has not been effectively translated into broad-based development.

 

A Blessing to Those Who Think Strategically & Sustainably

In contrast, oil was discovered in the North Sea off the coast of Norway in the late 1960s, with the Ekofisk field, discovered in 1969, marking the beginning of Norway’s oil boom. The discovery and subsequent exploitation of oil transformed Norway’s economy, moving the country from relative poverty to one of the wealthiest in the world with a high standard of living.

Norway established the Government Pension Fund Global (often referred to as the Oil Fund) in 1990 to manage the surplus wealth generated by its petroleum income. This fund is now one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world, ensuring that oil wealth benefits future generations.

Oil revenue has been strategically invested in public services, infrastructure, education, and healthcare, significantly improving the quality of life for Norwegian citizens. Additionally, Norway has taken a proactive stance on environmental issues, using its oil wealth to invest in renewable energy and sustainable practices.

 

 

Charting a Sustainable Path for the DRC: Balancing Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recently put 30 oil and gas blocks up for auction, inviting investors to exploit these resources. This move has faced scrutiny because the blocks are located on peatlands, which are significant carbon sinks. The DRC argues that such criticism is discriminatory, asserting that the burden of climate change falls more heavily on Western countries with higher carbon footprints. As negotiations continue, the future of resource exploitation in the DRC appears to be leaning towards sustainability rather than dependence on fossil fuels.

To ensure the country’s best interests, the DRC must solidify its narrative and strategy. Policymakers need to efficiently utilize resources for the benefit of the nation and its population. This approach requires strategic communication and a coherent narrative. Given the DRC’s significant potential for renewable energy sources, it is crucial to integrate these renewables with the hydrocarbon sector.

The DRC has abundant, though underdeveloped, infrastructure for hydropower and the potential to explore solar and wind power avenues. The Inga Dam on the Congo River, one of the largest hydropower projects globally, is capable of generating up to 40,000 MW of electricity. Investing in such projects can enhance the DRC’s energy security and reduce its carbon footprint. Additionally, the DRC is set to build its value chain in the mining sector through Buenassa, a visionary company planning to establish a refinery plant in the Lualaba region by 2027.

Saudi Arabia, a global leader in oil production, is heavily investing in solar energy through projects like the 2.6 GW Al Shuaibah solar power plant. These examples highlight how the DRC can leverage its renewable resources alongside its hydrocarbon sector to achieve a more resilient and sustainable energy system. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on hydrocarbons, demonstrating how the DRC can pursue a similar path.

This transition offers the DRC an opportunity to create positive social impacts, such as job creation in the green energy sector and improved public health. Despite being plagued by war, poverty, and negative perceptions, the DRC, with its raw potential and underdeveloped infrastructure since colonialism, stands at a pivotal point for innovation. With a market of more than 100 million people, there is significant potential to adopt cleaner technologies and sustainable practices in hydrocarbon extraction and processing, laying the foundation for rebuilding the economy and infrastructure from scratch.

 

Navigating the future of the DRC

The DRC stands at a critical juncture where its vast mineral wealth could either perpetuate a cycle of conflict and poverty or pave the way for a sustainable and prosperous future. Much like Nigeria’s oil curse, the DRC’s abundant resources have historically fueled corruption, environmental devastation, and social unrest. Instead of fostering national development, mining revenues have often been siphoned off by corrupt practices, leaving the population impoverished and the nation’s potential untapped. This resource curse underscores the urgent need for robust governance and sustainable practices to transform the DRC’s natural wealth into a true asset for its people.

The path forward for the DRC is clear but challenging. To ensure a resilient and thriving national economy, the DRC must strategically leverage its wealth to meet domestic needs and contribute to global sustainability efforts. Norway’s success in using its oil wealth to invest in public welfare and renewable energy offers a blueprint for how the DRC can turn its resources into a catalyst for sustainable and socioeconomic development.

The DRC’s journey towards a sustainable future is not just about energy; it’s about creating jobs, improving public health, and fostering innovation. Despite its many challenges, the DRC’s rich natural resources and youthful population present a unique opportunity to rebuild its economy and infrastructure with cleaner, more efficient technologies. By adopting strategic planning and sustainable practices, the DRC can transform its resource curse into a blessing, ensuring prosperity and stability for future generations. The potential for the DRC to emerge as a leader in the green transition is immense—now is the time for decisive action to secure a brighter future.





Africa, the cradle of humanity, a land that stirs the soul with its mystic allure. My soul chose to be born in a land where golden savannahs stretch far and wide. A land where one can witness the plains come alive with the rhythmic footsteps of herds embarking on their breath-taking migration in a timeless display of resilience and unity. A country that holds beauty, that enchants the senses and ignites wonder.

My land, my motherland Kenya. Born into a Kenyan family of Asian descent, a family that has lived and breathed Kenya and Africa for previous 5 generations, I can only identify as a Kenyan, a proud 6th generation African. Brought up in a family where ‘Being Human’ was the main principal belief. We have been raised with values that don’t differ greatly from those of the thousands of tribes that make up Africa – roots, heritage, family, faith, morals, principles and more.

Many years ago, I stood on stage at a speech writing contest in High School, where I described the strategy behind Muhamad Ali’s glorious win where he “floated like a butterfly, and stung like a bee” against George Foreman, in the fight forever known as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle.’ Years later, never even in my wildest imagination, did I imagine I would be living in the very ‘jungle’ itself, and working in the world of strategic storytelling and encouraging the amplification of Congolese voices and narratives far and wide across the globe from the heart of Africa.

Congo or as it was then called Zaire, a land that was stamped in the memory of the World as the place where Ali fought Foreman and caused a mighty Rumble in the boxing world. A battle that was immortalised in the song ‘In Zaire’ sung by Johnny Wakelin. Congo was a land everyone wanted to know about.

A land that is endowed with all the riches known to mankind. A blessed land, with a rich cultural heritage and a teeming, deserving population. A land sadly destroyed by its colonial past. Which, since its independence, is slowly trying to attain its rightful place in the World. It is here that I arrived five years back.

As I look back on my first five years of living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there have been moments of floating and very often, little stings. I moved to Kinshasa for love. In the beginning, I can honestly admit, it was not love for the city or the country or the people – I didn’t know enough about this 

ginormous country and the 100+ million people that fill its borders – it was personal love. But five years later, I never thought I could love a country and its people as though they were mine. That love comes from the heart that feels the mystic rhythm of the African land, and I couldn’t be prouder to call it home.

You can never shake the ancient dust of Africa off your boots – no matter how far and wide you travel.

Having lived in London for thirteen years followed by a few years in the Middle East, returning to Africa was natural. 

The love for Africa always remains in the soul. Living in the heart and soul of Central Africa, has been an adventure.

The narratives that have filled Western Media have sung a different song for many years, call it geo-politics, strategic positioning, economic control, all things aside, the story of the Congo has never really been told loudly by the Congolese themselves. From the outside looking in, the perceptions are dotted and plagued with negativity, but on the ground, the beating hearts of the Congolese are rumbling a little louder day by day towards progress, and it’s in these slivers of hope, that the true stories are revealed.

The stories that spotlight the young entrepreneur battling to build a viable business, young students carving out their careers currently into untapped and underdeveloped industries, the non-existent middle class that should build the private sector and contribute to its growth and the country’s economy, international investors building projects that create jobs and wealth for the locals as much as it does for the financial interest in the Congo. We can’t talk about changing the narrative of a country when we don’t discuss the positive changes that education, infrastructure developments, economic policies, universal health care, food self sufficiency etc can contribute towards developing Congo.

In Africa, a transformative era is on the horizon as the continent sets its sights on change and development like never before, and country examples like Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Morocco, and Kenya are a testament to these positive changes. A combined drive by the Africans to build an Africa by Africans for a future developed Africa. A daunting task as a fellow African who first arrived in Kinshasa for a two-week trip which quickly extended from month to month and snowballed into creating a business in the field of strategic advisory and communications. It was created around the simple premise – the African narrative needs to be written by the Africans, and the Congolese needed a platform for their voices to be heard as far and wide across the globe.

At the heart of Africa, the center of its soul, the Congolese beats are picking up. Business is quietly picking up, post the first peaceful democratic elections. As the incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi embarks on his second mandate, the world waits with bated breath for the promised change and greater development, the impact of which can be felt across the entire population. Whether its infrastructure, governance reform, education, better health, access to basic needs – there are plenty of conversations to be had. Storytelling, an essential part of Congolese culture, an oral tradition that is filled with narratives, stories, and songs, need to be told from the perceptions and opinions of the Congolese.

In the past, and especially in 2023 the power and bias of the international media came to the forefront.

Geopolitics and powerful Media Houses controlled and amplified the narrative that in their perception was important. It’s only natural to question the visibility of certain global issues over another. This raises the question about the impact of our voices when catastrophes and issues affecting an African country are narrated differently. Whether it’s election, unrest or other catastrophes affecting an African country, sometimes the western media does not consider it newsworthy because they do not have an in-depth understanding and information of the issues and disasters that affects this Continent.

There are a lot of positive changes happening as well, and these news worthy developments need to be made a part of the Global narrative. Positive or negative these conversations need to be had openly and who better than the Africans to be at the forefront of this narrative. The true voices of the Congolese need to be heard from their heart and soul and from their perspective. That’s when the true picture of the reality of their lives, struggles and aspirations emerges.

There is a need for a platform where the Congolese voices and the African voices can be heard, where views can be freely given not as a negative but as a positive approach to help bring the DRC to take its rightful place, not just in Africa but also in the World. Is it not our experiences from around the world when put together with like minded individuals – where greatness begins? Where stories and narratives become the basis for legacies.

DRConversations is the platform created as a gift for all the voices that need to be heard, for all the emotions that need to be expressed and to bring forth the dreams and aspirations of a nation on the cusp of development. Join this journey by sharing openly your knowledge and experience to make DRC a happy, positive and progressive Nation.

It’s time for another rumble in the jungle – Welcome to the conversations from the Congo.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             KS